Torbreck The Steading GSM 2023 | Barossa Valley

Winemaking Notes

The Steading is a classic Barossa blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro, sourced from dry-grown vineyards on the Barossa's Western Ridge—some more than 150 years old. Fruit is hand-harvested, destemmed, and fermented in small open-top fermenters. After basket pressing, the wine's components are matured for 20 months in large-format 4,500L seasoned French oak foudre before the final blend is made. Bottled unfined and unfiltered, The Steading is a harmonious, layered expression of Barossa's traditional cultivars and ancient vineyard heritage. The Steading is very much the heart and soul of Torbreck, the wine that exemplifies our philosophy and beliefs—protecting and nurturing the old vine resources of the Barossa Valley is paramount to Torbreck and this wine. It is sourced from Grenache, Mataro and Shiraz vines that survived the worldwide phylloxera outbreak of the 1880s, and a century later, the vine-pull scheme in the Barossa in the 1980s. The wine is a result of the serendipitous discovery of small remnant patches of withered ancient vines, some well over a century old, that have been carefully nurtured back to life.

Vintage Conditions

The 2023 growing season brought above-average rainfall in winter and spring and a cooler summer. The majority of the harvest took place in the colder months, and most vineyards were not harvested until April, approximately one month later than usual. Cooler seasons can pose several challenges, but through our dedicated commitment to viticulture practices, such as hand pruning and harvesting with careful soil management, the vintage resulted in low-yielding and resilient fruit. The vintage has resulted in very strong wines from the Eden and Barossa Valleys, with bright colours and freshness from higher natural acidities, auguring them towards greater longevity and detail across the palate. The protection of this old vine resource of the Barossa Valley is central to the Torbreck story and this wine, more than any other, is an indication of what is possible from these historic cultivars. The Steading is a collection of 45 different sources of fruit, some from our own vineyard estates as well as from growers on a share-farming basis. These precious grapes are vinified separately and blended once their individual virtues have been assessed.